I think there’s little doubt that the Lamborghini Huracan is an incredible machine. First introduced in 2014 at the Geneva Auto Show, the Huracan hit the scene as a replacement for the hugely popular Lamborghini Gallardo, and despite the sizable shoes it had to fill, the Huracan has succeeded in becoming a smash hit across several markets. However, that popularity has left some well-heeled collectors wanting more – more style, more speed, and most importantly, more exclusivity. That’s where a company like Italdesign comes in. Based out of Torino, Italy, Italdesign employs some 1,000 employees in the production of limited-edition models of high-end OEM vehicles. The company’s latest effort is this – the Zerouno, a bespoke Huracan rocking new aero and a custom cabin appointment, all of which raises the mid-engine supercar to new heights of desirability.

Revealed during the 87th annual Geneva International Motor Show earlier in 2017, Italdesign later brought the Zerouno to the concept lawn at the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. There in California, the Zerouno quickly drew a crowd of onlookers thanks to its aggressive and unique look. The Zerouno is the very first offering from the new Italdesign Automobili Speciali custom sub-brand, and is limited at just five units total, with pricing starting well into the seven-figure range. Read on for the specs on what makes this thing tick, and what makes it unique.

Continue reading to learn more about the Italdesign Zerouno.

Official video

Exterior

For the exterior, the Zerouno’s bodywork is made entirely from carbon fiber, with some components painted and other components shown in a bare carbon weave. The design philosophy was one of functionality and higher levels of performance, plus a unique and exciting aesthetic. Italdesign says the Zerouno’s exterior is the ideal reflection of the simultaneous engineering principle, wherein designers and engineers work side-by-side to find the perfect balance of form and function.

The Zerouno’s bodywork was developed at Italdesign’s advanced Virtual Reality Centre, which enabled the firm to conduct virtual aero testing prior to building the various components in real life. Italdesign also says that the upper portion of the car is modeled after the “Italian Gran Turismo tradition,” while the lower half is shaped by the demands of aerodynamics.

Regardless, it’s more than obvious that the pointed front end was inspired by single-seat race cars (Formula 1 in particular). The six-sided geometric shape of the nose looks similar to the GTZero concept revealed in 2016, and gets several components that use the air for both optimum cooling and increased grip levels.

Front end lift from that central intake was eliminated thanks to something Italdesign is calling the “Y Duct,” whereby air is routed through the intake and split through a Y-shaped divider under the skin, eventually making its way out through vents placed just ahead of the windshield. This creates downforce as a result.

There are also heat extractors that cool the brakes via vents in the fenders, plus further wings in the front end that create even more downforce. In back, there are further downforce generators, with a new, large wing, plus a diffuser element. Cooling is enhanced thanks to new rear fins and fender vents.

The lighting is extremely thin and narrow front to back, with LEDs used at every opportunity. The lights are mounted in a “floating” fashion inside the wings, thus enhancing the aero’s impact even further.

Even the wheels were designed to be functional. These large rollers are made from aluminum, and come from the Italian performance company OZ. The design is aimed at pulling out hot air from the brakes, as in addition to the lightweight aluminum, there are carbon fiber “turbines” along the perimeter of the wheel. When the wheels are in motion, the turbines effectively suck out the hot air around the carbon brakes, improving braking performance as a result. Wheel diameter is rated at 20 inches.

Dimensionally speaking, the Zerouno is a bit larger than the Laborghini Huracan. All that extra aero stuff adds size in every direction, with the exterior dimensions measuring in at 4,847 mm (190.8 inches) in length, 1,970 mm (77.6 inches) in width, and 1,204 mm (47.4 inches) in height. That’s a somewhat substantial increase in size compared to the standard Lambo, which measures in at 4,459 mm (175.6 inches) in length, 1,924 mm (75.7 inches) in width, and 1,165 mm (45.9 inches) in height.

Finally, if you prefer unlimited headroom, it should be mentioned that Italdesign might have a roadster variant of the Zerouno in development. And to that we say – yes please.

Exterior Dimensions

Interior

Inside the Zerouno, you’ll once again find plenty of carbon fiber, just like the exterior components. The dash, central tunnel, and door panels are all made from the stuff, and the design is a mash up between the Huracan and a dedicated racing machine. We think the mesh looks great alongside the dark grey and black trim materials used for the new seat upholstery.

Speaking of upholstery, the seats get a cool new design, complete with the company’s logo branded in the headrests. Openings at the shoulder level provide the slots for racing harnesses, while the Zerouno logo was placed here and there to remind you what you’re sitting in, including in the middle of the flat-bottom multi-function steering wheel. Just behind the steering wheel is Italdesign’s digital cockpit, but there are further digital screens in the dash providing info and control. Shift paddles are located on the steering wheel, per normal.

And while the interior definitely has the appearance of a dedicated racer, the Zerouno maintains its street cred thanks to the inclusion of basic comfort features like air conditioning and climate control. Italdesign was also careful to retain various safety features like the airbags. This is a road car, after all.

Drivetrain

Under all that fancy new carbon fiber skin, the Italdesign Zerouno is essentially a Lamborghini Huracan. The mechanical bits are more or less identical to the standard Lambo, and although Italdesign did mention that the Zerouno gets upgraded electrics and electronics, it’s not mentioned what exactly was upgraded in the switchover.

Either way, the Zerouno gets a mid-mounted naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V-10, just like the Lambo (and Audi R8, for that matter). The same seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox is also equipped, routing power to all four corners.

Output is rated at a stout, Lambo-matching 610 horsepower at 8,250 rpm, while torque is rated at 560 Nm (413 pound-feet) at 6,500 rpm. Properly applied, that’s enough muscle to send the Zerouno from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.2 seconds. Top speed is rated at 330 km/h, or 205 mph. The fuel tank capacity is capped at 73 liters.

All pretty standard stuff, to be honest. However, there is one new component Italdesign is proud to mention, as the Zerouno is equipped with a new exhaust system that terminates in twin 80 cm (31.5-inch) tips. Going along with the lightweight theme, the exhaust is constructed from titanium.

Drivetrain Specifications

Chassis And Handling

As you’d expect, the Italdesign Zerouno employs copious amounts of carbon fiber and aluminum for its modular chassis, offering the sort of low weight and high rigidity needed when claiming race car-esque handling capabilities. Further handling chops are provided by the carbon ceramic brakes, which get squeezed by 8 piston calipers in front and 6 piston calipers in the rear.

Making the connection to the pavement is rubber from Pirelli, with the Italian performance tire company’s P-Zero compound. The P-Zero is a tire used frequently in motorsport, and indeed, as Italdesign points out, Pirelli is the exclusive tire supplier in Formula 1. The compound used on the Zerouno was specially developed for the car, with sizing rated at 245/30R20 in front and 305/30R20 in the rear. Buyers even get a selection of colors for the tire sidewall stripe, including white, red, yellow, or metallic grey.

Prices

As previously stated, only five examples of the Italdesign Zerouno are to be created, with production concluding prior to the end of 2017.

Interested buyers apparently get a variety of options and customization opportunities when creating their own Zerouno. “The five lucky owners of Zerouno will be able to maximize the customization of their cars so that each one will be truly unique,” says Italdesign.

For starters, the exterior can be finished in any hue desired, or alternatively, it can get a raw carbon fiber look as well. Then there’s the optional Corsa package, which upgrades the aero even further and turns the car into a track-only vehicle, throwing in lightweight side mirrors, carbon fiber monocoque seat frames, a race-ready rear wing sporting a central longitudinal fin for further lateral stability, new wheel designs, and a competition-spec titanium muffler.

What’s more, Italdesign is partnering with Roger Dubuis, a Geneva-based producer of high-end watches. The partnership includes access to an exclusive eight-piece watch from Roger Dubuis’ Excalibur Spider line, which, like the car, gets high-end materials like carbon and ceramic.

Pricing for the Zerouno is set at $1.7 million, and unsurprisingly, all five examples are already sold. However, if you’re really intent on grabbing one, rumor has it there’s already an example offered on the used market for a cool $3 million.

Conclusion

The roots of Italdesign can be traced back to 1968, with the company currently offering design work, project management, styling, engineering, and prototyping services. As of 2010, Lamborghini has controlling interest in the company, which explains recent projects like the Audi Q2, Giugiaro Gea, and GTZero.

So the Zerouno is a good fit in the Italdesign portfolio. Framed as a vehicle for “collectors and visionary enthusiasts,” this is supposedly a race car for the road, with the driving philosophy being very low weight and effective aerodynamic enhancements, all with a unique styling approach.

Per tradition, the Zerouno was built with engineers and designers working side-by-side to create something that looks good while still being technically impressive. Italdesign calls it “functional design,” and according to the company, “there are no styling proposals at Italdesign that do not also simultaneously embrace a technical solution.”

There are, however, a few problems. First off, the low weight – Italdesign doesn’t mention any weight savings at all over the standard Huracan production car, which leads us to believe the Zerouno weighs as much as the more commonplace Lambo.

Secondly, the idea that this is a race car for the road doesn’t really line up with the mechanical bits. Sure, it’s fast, but it isn’t any faster than a normal Huracan, and that’s an issue when charging $1.7 million.

Still, the fact Italdesign managed to easily sell all five is an indication that these problems aren’t really problems at all. The aero upgrades are enough to justify the cost, and we can be assured that the unique looks are paired with a substantial amount of functionality as well. And that’s great – now we just wanna see it run against the standard Huracan on a track.

References

Lamborghini Huracan

Read our full review on the Lamborghini Huracan.

Lamborghini Gallardo

Read our full on the Lamborghini Gallardo.

Italdesign GTZero

Read our full review on the Italdesign GTZero.

Giugiaro Gea

Read our full review on the Giugiaro Gea.

Audi R8

Read our full review on the Audi R8.